History

An inspired vision made possible by inspiring leaders

In 2008, the Wood family started their search for the quintessential international academic environment for their children. Multilingual and multicultural themselves, passionate about their vision of global education and eager to create a diverse, accessible and open learning environment, Jeremy Wood joined forces with Yves Rivaud and Clyde Javois to develop the concept that would become The École, the first school of its kind in Manhattan.

With the support of equally passionate, committed parents, The École—then known as Ecole Internationale de New York—opened its doors six months later at 111 East 22nd Street on September 8th, 2009. There were 22 students enrolled in Nursery through Fifth grade.

Within its first eight years, The École outgrew its entrepreneurial phase to become an established, respected international school designed to welcome over 200 students from Nursery through 8th Grade.

In 2017, Philippe and Laurence Roux, parents of two of our Elementary students, joined The École leadership family. Taking on ownership of the school as it looked to its second decade, they worked with Yves Rivaud to clarify the school’s philosophy, strengthen its capabilities, and expand its community, ensuring The École’s early successes would continue well into the future.

All of the Roux’s efforts have been focused on achieving two core goals. First, to restore the spirit of the school’s initial community, bringing together a diverse group of international families in close bonds of friendship. And second, to reimagine the future of The École as a non-profit entity, ensuring its unique French and American dual learning system can help even more students to grow and broaden their horizons.

Our Name and Symbol

In September 2018, the school officially changed its name from the original Ecole Internationale de New York to the shorter, simpler, and more straightforward name it is known by now: The École. The combination of English and French in The École is a nod to our French-American bilingual focus, while also reflecting the fluidity with which our students move from one of these languages to the other.

Our “Conversation Mark” logo was formally adopted in 2018, at the same time as The École name. Made up of five dialog boxes, intentionally arranged to represent close, community connection and a dynamic, bilingual conversation, they also take the shape of a more classic, monogrammed “E”. To reflect the diverse perspectives and experiences of our faculty, staff, parents, and students, as well as our shared, joyous spirit, we adopted an unusual approach to color, in which our logo can appear in six different shades—red, orange, yellow, green, teal, and blue.